Ben Li

Age: Born 1990
Events: cross country (5k to 10k); road (1 mile to Half Marathon); track (1500, 1 mile, 3k, 5k)
Hometown: Lompoc, CA
College competed for: Havard University

PERSONAL BESTS

800 - 2:01 (2012)
1500 - 4:02 (2023)
1 mile - 4:23 (road, 2023)
3k - 8:47 (2012)
2 mile - 9:29 (2023)
5k - 14:58 (2023)
8k - 25:03 (2023)
Half Marathon - 68:22 (2015)

Proudest Accomplishments

Every time I run a PR is a career highlight at this age! But by far my proudest accomplishment was running under 15 minutes in the 5k for the first time in 4/2023. I listened to Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" song before the race, and then I told myself, it's time to make this no longer a dream, but an actual accomplishment! That conviction helped me finally reach my lifelong goal.

Special thanks to all my runner friends through the years:
2004 - 2008: Cabrillo High School, Coach Peter Anderson
2008 - 2012: Harvard University, Coach Jason Saretsky
2013 - 2018: Nashville Running Company, the "Boss" Lee Wilson
2018 - 2023: West Valley Track Club, Coach Jack Youngren
2023 - present: Club Northwest!

About

I love to run, and I try not to take a single day for granted. I feel like I'm my best version of myself when I can run, and I use that energy to help others and spread positivity in my personal and professional life. I am a radiation oncologist at the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and I am the director of a non-profit global health organization ("RCC" or Rayos Contra Cancer) that works to promote better radiation treatments for patients in limited-resource settings. I was honored to write a reflection with Hoka (and have since been loyal to the Rincon trainers), which you're welcome to read if you want to see more about my life as a runner oncology doctor! https://www.hoka.com/en/us/blog-post/?id=humans-hoka-benjamin-li